massage and bodywork professionals
a community of practitioners
Research in the Classroom
Are you teaching research in your classrooms?
If so, which aspects (basic terms, read and interpret studies, research skills)?
How are you integrating research into other topics such as massage effects and treatment planning?
Views: 183
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Christopher A. Moyer on
-
Sorry it took me so long to respond to this, Susan.
I just don’t see things in black or white, but rather shades of gray (or is it grey [Pun intended]). Research often leads to the need for more research. Furthermore, research gives us a clear picture, but not the whole picture.
You're right that research usually (actually, always) leads to the need for further research. But it's also true that research can settle questions, such that the needed research is a step beyond what was needed previously. Some things can be (and are) shown to be a particular way, e.g., some treatments work better than others, and some don't work at all.
The lit review renders conflicting findings with online in the lead IF the learner is self motivated. Studies also suggest that online learning is best for visual and kinesthetic learners and face-to-face is better for auditory learners.
Interesting - at the same time, the popular notion that there are such learning styles is poorly supported by available evidence. See http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.pdf for a recent extensive study, if interested.
Meta analysis implies that a combined method is best with more options for the learner.
That makes sense.
Christopher, do you teach research in your classes (and what is your teaching specialty)? If yes, what research approach do you take?
Yes, I certainly teach research in my classes! I teach psychology and have taught Intro, Health Psych, Abnormal Psych, Research in Psychotherapy, and several others. As for my research approach, it depends. I've done many types of research; I've created surveys, collected survey data, performed experiments, completed research reviews and meta-analyses, done psychophysiological labwork, unstructured and structured interviews, and more. I try to fit my approach the what the question requires. Asking a research what their favorite method is seems to me to be like asking a mechanic which his favorite tool is. He may have a tool he particularly likes or feels comfortable with, but he (or she) will not be a very good mechanic relying on that tool only.
Having said all that, I tend to favor quantitative approaches in most of my work. -
-
Permalink Reply by Pete Whitridge on
-
And if your teachers need to learn some research basics, the Massage Therapy Foundation sponsors a "Teaching Research Literacy for Teachers". This can be a regional/local initiative for schools to collaborate. The Foundation sends a teacher to your school, you advertise this to your regional/local schools, and everyone wins. We have a class coming up in a few weeks in June in Atlanta and one with Pat Benjamin in Las Vegas in July! The MTF also has a research track available at EVERY AMTA Convention! Check it out! http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/teach.html. Thanks for the forum! P>
-
-
Permalink Reply by Susan G. Salvo on
-
Thanks Pete. You are a busy bee today.
And thanks for the pat on the back for Sandy and I. We both look forward to any specific feedback you wish to share on the course.
Pete Whitridge said:And if your teachers need to learn some research basics, the Massage Therapy Foundation sponsors a "Teaching Research Literacy for Teachers". This can be a regional/local initiative for schools to collaborate. The Foundation sends a teacher to your school, you advertise this to your regional/local schools, and everyone wins. We have a class coming up in a few weeks in June in Atlanta and one with Pat Benjamin in Las Vegas in July! The MTF also has a research track available at EVERY AMTA Convention! Check it out! http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/teach.html. Thanks for the forum! P> -
-
Permalink Reply by Michael Jacobus on
-
Interesting thread. Thanks to all for contributing. I am teaching at Cortiva-Seattle and I do teach the clinical reasoning/Intro to research class. We cover the basics of how to read a research paper and do a little interpretation. We also ask students to find a paper on massage and present it to a small group of peer with a list of questions that are posed to them.
I recently have gotten involved in a Group Health Study on massage for the next year or so and have been able to start sharing my experience of actually participating in a large scale research project which, I think, helps get the students animated about the idea of research. I am also proud that our campus has produced several winning case reports in the past few years. We have a faculty that is quite passionate about research. -
-
-
That’s fantastic, Michael
Be sure and post updates regularly.
Love hearing what schools are doing to promote research awareness and skills. -
-
Permalink Reply by Jason Erickson on
-
Chris - How is this a threat? In seeking the truth, we must necessarily uncover and discard falsehoods (much like childhood belief in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc.). Some long-treasured myths will be exposed, some bickering will occur, and we'll move forward. If parts of the profession are invalid, wouldn't the profession be better off without them?
Christopher A. Moyer said:Thanks for inviting me to join this discussion, Susan.
Training in research literacy is probably the most important thing. Most will never be involved in research, but all competent practitioners should know how to access it and how to use it.
To that I would add this observation - there is an inherent conflict between research and tradition. Many folks are coming out in favor of more research in the massage therapy profession, but it is important to realize that scientific research will validate some practices, and invalidate others. Depending on one's viewpoint, you could even say that research presents a risk to the profession, or more precisely, to parts of it. I'm not sure that is something which is fully appreciated. -
-
-
Chris - I wrote the prior comment before seeing some of your subsequent posts. Your position is more clear to me now.
To All - Thanks for the fascinating thread! I read research but do not consider myself sufficiently diligent to stay current. Unfortunately, I don't know any MTs in my area that read nearly as much current research as I do. Most seem disinclined to seek out and read through relevant new data. At best, they might read some of the trade magazines, follow a blog or two, and consult various massage/bodywork texts/videos.
My background includes undergrad degrees in marketing and economics; research literacy, research methods, and statistics were important parts of the core curriculum for those degrees. That training has served me well, but I have enjoyed refresher texts such as "Junk Science Judo" and the like. Now I am very excited to see the growing emphasis on research literacy in massage.
The research I have read is constantly inspiring me to rethink the way I work with my clients, and I incorporate what I learn into my client education. At the moment I am completely revamping some of the work I do because neuro research has provided insights that enable me to work more efficiently with the CNS to resolve certain pain issues. The changes I am making now would not be happening without the knowledge I have gained from published research.
I teach some workshops for massage therapists and personal trainers, and incorporate the new information I learn into how I present the intended material. Some of the workshops I originally intended to develop have been scrapped because I learned things that made me decide such classes would be a waste of time. It would be refreshing to see massage schools and CE providers update their curriculums/course materials more vigorously.
As an employer of many MTs, I see vast differences in how students at different schools are prepared, and in the learning habits of experienced MTs. As yet, very few of the new massage grads we interview seem to have any grasp of current information (research literature less than 2 years old). None of the established MTs (out of school for over a year) are up to date. I feel this is because massage schools tend to have (a) low or no entrance requirements, (b) little/no emphasis on research literacy/methods, (c) few if any teachers competent to teach research literacy/methods, and (d) few if any teachers who attempt to stay current by reading research themselves (thereby modeling the desired behavior). I have served as a member of several massage school "advisory boards" - a good position to learn how weak curriculums are in certain areas while lacking any ability to effectively influence positive changes. In order to strengthen the science and research aspects of massage training, we need teachers who are competent in science, research literacy/methods, and teaching. The new movement towards teacher training (in general) and instructor preparation (in research literacy/methods) are good steps in the right direction.
I have also been fascinated by the growing body of knowledge regarding neuroplasticity and learning styles/challenges. A fascinating book that is inspiring many interesting teaching concepts for me is "The Brain That Changes Itself" - a fun read loaded to the gills with excellent info. -
-
-
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jason.
I'd love to hear specifically what you have changed about your work.
Schools will begin teaching research literacy, it’s inevitable. The next edition of Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice, which is written at entry-level, places special emphasis on research literacy as well as the documented affects of massage therapy. It will also include ancillaries to support instructors who teach this knowledge base and skill set.
The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge also placed great emphasis on Research Literacy as well as Information Literacy (ability to locate, evaluate,, use, and communicate using a wide range of resources including text, visual, audio, and video sources*).
But I also understand that practicing therapists may not have time to keep up with current research. Luckily, that is one of the functions of professional organizations, professional journals, and continuing education.
* Lohr, LL. Creating Graphics for Learning and Performance, 2e, Pearson, 2008
Jason Erickson said:Chris - I wrote the prior comment before seeing some of your subsequent posts. Your position is more clear to me now.
To All - Thanks for the fascinating thread! I read research but do not consider myself sufficiently diligent to stay current. Unfortunately, I don't know any MTs in my area that read nearly as much current research as I do. Most seem disinclined to seek out and read through relevant new data. At best, they might read some of the trade magazines, follow a blog or two, and consult various massage/bodywork texts/videos.
My background includes undergrad degrees in marketing and economics; research literacy, research methods, and statistics were important parts of the core curriculum for those degrees. That training has served me well, but I have enjoyed refresher texts such as "Junk Science Judo" and the like. Now I am very excited to see the growing emphasis on research literacy in massage.
The research I have read is constantly inspiring me to rethink the way I work with my clients, and I incorporate what I learn into my client education. At the moment I am completely revamping some of the work I do because neuro research has provided insights that enable me to work more efficiently with the CNS to resolve certain pain issues. The changes I am making now would not be happening without the knowledge I have gained from published research.
I teach some workshops for massage therapists and personal trainers, and incorporate the new information I learn into how I present the intended material. Some of the workshops I originally intended to develop have been scrapped because I learned things that made me decide such classes would be a waste of time. It would be refreshing to see massage schools and CE providers update their curriculums/course materials more vigorously.
As an employer of many MTs, I see vast differences in how students at different schools are prepared, and in the learning habits of experienced MTs. As yet, very few of the new massage grads we interview seem to have any grasp of current information (research literature less than 2 years old). None of the established MTs (out of school for over a year) are up to date. I feel this is because massage schools tend to have (a) low or no entrance requirements, (b) little/no emphasis on research literacy/methods, (c) few if any teachers competent to teach research literacy/methods, and (d) few if any teachers who attempt to stay current by reading research themselves (thereby modeling the desired behavior). I have served as a member of several massage school "advisory boards" - a good position to learn how weak curriculums are in certain areas while lacking any ability to effectively influence positive changes. In order to strengthen the science and research aspects of massage training, we need teachers who are competent in science, research literacy/methods, and teaching. The new movement towards teacher training (in general) and instructor preparation (in research literacy/methods) are good steps in the right direction.
I have also been fascinated by the growing body of knowledge regarding neuroplasticity and learning styles/challenges. A fascinating book that is inspiring many interesting teaching concepts for me is "The Brain That Changes Itself" - a fun read loaded to the gills with excellent info. -
-
-
Susan -
My work is radically different now from where it was just a few years ago, largely due to my integration of knowledge and clinical reasoning gained from studying published research and derivative works based on that research. It is hard for me to imagine NOT constantly adapting my work to reflect new knowledge, and even harder to imagine not constantly seeking out new knowledge. My long-term clients have noticed the changes... even the way I answer their questions and the advice I give has changed considerably. The following narrative details some of the specific changes that I have made in my work:
For one, I have moved away from doing the extremely painful work I was popular for. I seemed to get good results and had a thriving clientele, but the more I learned about neurophysiology and the pain response, the more I felt compelled to start eliminating the pain aspect of my work. Delving into the literature, I learned about positional release and took advantage of an opportunity to experience strain counterstrain. Wow! I was impressed and immediately began to learn and develop positional release skills. Over the next 2 years, my work changed dramatically and I became busier than ever.
With practice and further research, I realized that it was possible to combine positional release with other forms of soft tissue manipulations to obtain greater results in a shorter period of time, with less post-session discomfort for the client. The closest approximation I have found is described in Chaitow's text on PRT as "Functional Positional Release".
Though clearly incomplete, the updated hypotheses of how positional release works helped me realize how it may play a role in athletic preparation and recovery, particularly as a complement to active isolated stretching, PNF stretching, etc. I have successfully integrated positional release methods into my work (pre-and-post-event) with elite athletes at marathons, distance bicycling events, etc., and also into my work as a personal trainer. PRT can be used to facilitate strength training, balance and proprioception development, flexibility enhancement, endurance training, etc.
More recently, continued study of neuro concepts helped me realize how to quickly and consistently obtain PRT benefits without moving the client's skeletal structure. In other words, PRT without repositioning. This has been particularly helpful with injuries that are too painful to permit standard PRT. The approach I am using now brings down the pain so those clients can start moving the area with little discomfort, permitting me to use conventional PRT methods that I have more practice with.
My recent reading about neuroplasticity has also impacted my approach to training a woman with a long history of progressive MS. Her symptoms (particularly impaired balance) have taken a turn for the worse over the last 9 months. Today we embarked on a program of retraining her brain how to feel and interpret the sensory input from her feet and ankles. It is the first step in a planned progression that should enable her to resume certain exercises that she enjoys but has temporarily had to give up. For those thinking, "scope of practice!" - don't worry. As a personal trainer, I am constantly helping people learn ways to improve their balance... for this client, we are simply starting at an exceptionally remedial level.
Hope that helps you! :)
Susan G. Salvo said:Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jason.
I'd love to hear specifically what you have changed about your work.
Schools will begin teaching research literacy, it’s inevitable. The next edition of Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice, which is written at entry-level, places special emphasis on research literacy as well as the documented affects of massage therapy. It will also include ancillaries to support instructors who teach this knowledge base and skill set.
The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge also placed great emphasis on Research Literacy as well as Information Literacy (ability to locate, evaluate,, use, and communicate using a wide range of resources including text, visual, audio, and video sources*).
But I also understand that practicing therapists may not have time to keep up with current research. Luckily, that is one of the functions of professional organizations, professional journals, and continuing education.
* Lohr, LL. Creating Graphics for Learning and Performance, 2e, Pearson, 2008
Jason Erickson said:Chris - I wrote the prior comment before seeing some of your subsequent posts. Your position is more clear to me now.
To All - Thanks for the fascinating thread! I read research but do not consider myself sufficiently diligent to stay current. Unfortunately, I don't know any MTs in my area that read nearly as much current research as I do. Most seem disinclined to seek out and read through relevant new data. At best, they might read some of the trade magazines, follow a blog or two, and consult various massage/bodywork texts/videos.
My background includes undergrad degrees in marketing and economics; research literacy, research methods, and statistics were important parts of the core curriculum for those degrees. That training has served me well, but I have enjoyed refresher texts such as "Junk Science Judo" and the like. Now I am very excited to see the growing emphasis on research literacy in massage.
The research I have read is constantly inspiring me to rethink the way I work with my clients, and I incorporate what I learn into my client education. At the moment I am completely revamping some of the work I do because neuro research has provided insights that enable me to work more efficiently with the CNS to resolve certain pain issues. The changes I am making now would not be happening without the knowledge I have gained from published research.
I teach some workshops for massage therapists and personal trainers, and incorporate the new information I learn into how I present the intended material. Some of the workshops I originally intended to develop have been scrapped because I learned things that made me decide such classes would be a waste of time. It would be refreshing to see massage schools and CE providers update their curriculums/course materials more vigorously.
As an employer of many MTs, I see vast differences in how students at different schools are prepared, and in the learning habits of experienced MTs. As yet, very few of the new massage grads we interview seem to have any grasp of current information (research literature less than 2 years old). None of the established MTs (out of school for over a year) are up to date. I feel this is because massage schools tend to have (a) low or no entrance requirements, (b) little/no emphasis on research literacy/methods, (c) few if any teachers competent to teach research literacy/methods, and (d) few if any teachers who attempt to stay current by reading research themselves (thereby modeling the desired behavior). I have served as a member of several massage school "advisory boards" - a good position to learn how weak curriculums are in certain areas while lacking any ability to effectively influence positive changes. In order to strengthen the science and research aspects of massage training, we need teachers who are competent in science, research literacy/methods, and teaching. The new movement towards teacher training (in general) and instructor preparation (in research literacy/methods) are good steps in the right direction.
I have also been fascinated by the growing body of knowledge regarding neuroplasticity and learning styles/challenges. A fascinating book that is inspiring many interesting teaching concepts for me is "The Brain That Changes Itself" - a fun read loaded to the gills with excellent info. -
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next ›
© 2025 Created by ABMP.
Powered by
